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Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Paté de Campagne

October. Butchering time. Fresh venison hangs in an outbuilding. In addition to the plump old chicken stewing in the pot over the fire for tonight's dinner, I have some turkey from that pesky old tom I can grind (his flesh is too tough to do much else with) and a rasher of bacon (tranche de lard–and here let me insert that even though I am a reenactor of 18thC New France where pork was a mainstay, I do not eat pork, so I will always be using a substitute), in this case turkey bacon. I have company coming on Friday evening for dinner, so I will cook this paté (country terrine) on Tuesday as its flavor improves with age.

In a large bowl add:
1. 1 medium onion finely chopped and sautéd in 1 tbls. of butter.
2. 2 cloves of garlic and a pinch of coarse salt ground together in a
mortar .
3. 1 tbls. of chopped parsley, 1 tbls. mixed dry herbs (I use herbs de Provence), 1 tsp. mixed spices* (see source following), 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 3 eggs, 1/4 c. eau de vie (brandy)
4. Mix well and stir in 1 1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs.
5. Grind together or chop 1 lb. turkey, 1/2 lb. venison or beef or chicken, cubed, 1/2 lb chicken liver and a handful of chicken fat or use a mezzaluna or two knives brought down over the meat alternately with a rhythmic action to preserve the juices in the meat and to incorporate the meats and fat together.
6. Stir meat into mixture in bowl and continue to mix with hands as in mixing meatloaf.
7. Fry a small bit to see if the seasoning is sufficient (never eat raw meat). Adjust if necessary.
Line a terrine or paté dish(set the cover aside) with strips of turkey bacon so that pieces are hanging over the side of the pan. Pack the paté mixture into the bacon-lined pan, tap it against the counter to release any air bubbles and fold the strips of bacon over the meat. Lay a leaf or two of bay and a sprig of thyme on top. Set the cover on.
8. Place pan in another larger pan and fill with water half-way up the sides of the paté pan. Cook the paté in a preheated 350°F [180°C] oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean and hot (or meat thermometer reads 160°F).

Remove the terrine and place it on a plate, place a board cut to fit the terrine's inside onto the paté and weight it down. Allow it to cool and then place it in the springhouse with the weights in place overnight. Remove the weights the next day, replace the lid of the terrine and keep it cool until serving time. Slice the paté, just before serving, while it is still cold. Cornichons (pickled gherkins) are the traditional accompaniment.

1 comment:

Explore with me 18thC French cuisine as a habitante in Nouvelle France may have cooked. After the F&I War, and again after the Revolutionary War, habitantes were surrounded and overrun by Anglo and other American influences. By the end of the 18thC, new foods and new methods of cooking would change her culture forever.